Help pick my last high school class!

mistymayem

mistymayem

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My junior year of high school ended this Monday so next August I'll be starting my senior year! Woo! I've had my classes for next year picked since around February but today I got a lovely call from my guidance counselor telling me suddenly my schedule doesn't work and I have to drop Spanish V. I really don't mind because our Spanish department kind of sucks and I don't think I learned a single thing in Spanish IV.

Anyway! Now I have to pick out a new class for next year and I'm trying to get the advice of as many people as possible. I figure since many of you have already been through high school, you guys can offer some advice about what you're glad you took or wish you would have taken.

My schedule so far...
AP Calculus
Intermediate Band
AP Government/AP Economics (1 semester each)
Newspaper
Honors Literature/Honors Composition (1 semester each)
Physics I

So I have room for 1 year long class or 2 semester classes. I understand you guys don't know what classes are offered at my school but any general advice would be cool.

I've looked into some computer programming classes but they are only offered at the local technical school so they take up more than one class period.

So far I'm thinking about...
Digital Design
Astronomy
Probability and Statistics

Annnnd I have no idea what I want to major in so really anything is open!

I know that was a lot of text so thanks if you read it all and thanks for any help!

Also I need to tell my counselor by Tuesday.
 
Stats will be the most helpful of those when you get into college. Don't suppose AP Stats is an option? Those AP tests are so fucking useful.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']Stats will be the most helpful of those when you get into college. Don't suppose AP Stats is an option? Those AP tests are so fucking useful.[/QUOTE]

Nope! AP Calculus is the only AP math class offered. I wanted to take AP Biology too but it didn't fit with my schedule. :(
 
Wow

You have alot of the same senior year classes I had. One thing I can say in general terms (esp since you don't know what you will major in in college) is take stuff in high school that can help you in college.

If you're going to do ANYTHING that involves statistics (ie, research, be it biology, chemistry, sociology, etc), taking a stat class now to make it easier on you once you get to college would help. Not knowing anything else about your plans, I'd say stat is the way to go (though I was a Bio major in college and that may cloud my judgement).

Design would be good if you are going to be doing anything related to that (or foresee yourself doing that). Astronomy, I never liked, though some one else may enjoy that.

Just some thoughts.
 
[quote name='Frankski']Wow

You have alot of the same senior year classes I had. One thing I can say in general terms (esp since you don't know what you will major in in college) is take stuff in high school that can help you in college.

If you're going to do ANYTHING that involves statistics (ie, research, be it biology, chemistry, sociology, etc), taking a stat class now to make it easier on you once you get to college would help. Not knowing anything else about your plans, I'd say stat is the way to go (though I was a Bio major in college and that may cloud my judgement).

Design would be good if you are going to be doing anything related to that (or foresee yourself doing that). Astronomy, I never liked, though some one else may enjoy that.

Just some thoughts.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the advice! The only problem I can see with Stat is my friend who is graduating this year told me it is basically a blow off class so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be. I'm still definitely considering it though.

I'm only thinking about Digital Design because I've always thought it looked like a lot of fun and I've been interested in Photoshop and such for awhile.

I'm really only looking at astronomy because it's better than a study hall. :D
 
Stats is easy as balls, I would take that. You have to take multiple stats classes in college anyway so this would give you a jump on those and make them even easier.

Though if you can take a study hall, definitely do that. A study hall period lets you get shit done during the school day that you don't have to worry about at home. I took one my senior year when I dropped psychology after the first week (wasn't hard, the teacher was just a douchebag and I knew I couldn't deal with him the whole year) and it was wonderful.
 
Yeah, I think the only reason Stats is known as a blow off class is because a lot of seniors take it instead of Pre-Calc or AP Calculus.

After looking through the course description book again, I saw Marketing which might be interesting and Japanese which I think would be a lot of fun but I would probably stuck in a class full of Freshmen and I've heard it's actually pretty difficult.
 
[quote name='shieryda']"Intermediate Band"? Is that like playing Guitar Hero on medium? J/k.

You should probably take statistics.[/QUOTE]

Haha I wish...
 
I'd suggest Probability and Statistics.

Also, looking at the courses you are able to take, I am extremely jealous. When I was a HS senior 10 years ago, my classes all sucked and were worthless garbage. If I had been able to take the classes you are able to take, HS probably wouldn't have sucked and I might not have blown off College until last year. Also, wtf at you being able to take AP gov and AP economics? When I was in HS, I had to take AP gov the whole year, with a shitload more work than a semester class at college. It was ridiculous.

/rant
 
[quote name='Ryukahn']I'd suggest Probability and Statistics.

Also, looking at the courses you are able to take, I am extremely jealous. When I was a HS senior 10 years ago, my classes all sucked and were worthless garbage. If I had been able to take the classes you are able to take, HS probably wouldn't have sucked and I might not have blown off College until last year. Also, wtf at you being able to take AP gov and AP economics? When I was in HS, I had to take AP gov the whole year, with a shitload more work than a semester class at college. It was ridiculous.

/rant[/QUOTE]


I'm not sure about the whole Econ/Gov thing. All I know is that at my school you are required to take a semester of econ and a semester of gov during your senior year. You also have the option of taking them as semester long AP classes.
 
[quote name='mistymayem']Yeah, I think the only reason Stats is known as a blow off class is because a lot of seniors take it instead of Pre-Calc or AP Calculus.

After looking through the course description book again, I saw Marketing which might be interesting and Japanese which I think would be a lot of fun but I would probably stuck in a class full of Freshmen and I've heard it's actually pretty difficult.[/QUOTE]

Japanese is easy to speak, but hard to write (2 phonetic alphabets, plus thousands of kanji). First year Japanese doesn't get into much writing, so it's not as hard as it sounds. Your biggest issue will not be the freshman, but the squealy geeks downloading illegal anime online and kids thinking they can slack through it for some reason or another. Quite a few of my Japanese classmates were very, VERY damn annoying. It was mostly gathering the paperwork and self-studying while the teacher tried to get them to shut up long enough to learn a few characters.

I guess my best advice is, make sure you're taking at least 1 class you actually WANT to take- not becuase it'll make your college application look better, or give you a boost for another program, but because you'll enjoy it. You've got a year of big final projects, SATs, and college applications to be busy with, so don't set yourself up for a total burnout. It's your last year, have some fun!
 
You obviously are college bound so I would suggest taking Stats of the three you mention, as that would probably be the most beneficial to you in the long run. Even if you have to take it again, you'll have a head start. If Astronomy interests you, it could fill in an elective in college as a science.
 
How about taking a fun class like music or art? I took art 1 during my senior year and it wasnt that bad
 
Spanish.

With congress getting ready to tackle immigration reform, now is the time to learn the language of our future overlords. :lol:


Seriously tho. Not knowing what you've taken up till now, and not knowing exactly what is offered. I would like to see everyone take some sort of Finance classes in HS. Hopefully learn some things that will help in the real world.
 
Yeah, I'd do stats if you want to do any type of hard or social science major in college.

Stats in grad school was a bitch for me as I didn't have stats in high school, and just a crappy econ stats class in college as I majored in Journalism so it was very light on math.

But had to take several stats classes for my masters and Ph D in Criminology and they were probably the toughest part other than the Ph D comprehensive exams.
 
Take stats, then drop band and take either astronomy or Japanese. Japanese I is easy (pretty much any language I is easy anyway), I learned hiragana and katakana is Japanese I and it wasn't bad at all, the kanji is the hard part, which didn't really come until level II and I didn't keep taking it in high school (wish I did), so I never got past that level.
 
I fucking loved AP chem and decided to major in chemistry after taking it.

Which AP economics class are you taking? There's macro and micro, you may want to take both.
 
Im partial to economics and since most colleges require it as a gen ed its a pretty safe AP. Personally, I hated highschool APs. They took the fun out of a lot of subjects. I took chem AP and it was so structured you cant explore the subject. They basically teach to the AP test and little else. It wasnt until I took a 200 level chem course in college that I got to really explore the subject and enjoyed it.

Im going to make the outside suggestion to take a vocational class. Theyre interesting and a great way to find a hobby (auto shop). On more cynical note, it never hurts to be able to do something with your hands. Vocational jobs cant be outsourced nearly as easily as desk jobs and most pay a lot better than people realize. I took courses to be an electrician (which also helped when I was an EE major) so if some economic catastrophe ever occurs, I can always fall back on 40K+ a year as a contractor.
 
Wow! Lots of responses! Thanks guys!

To you guys who recommended AP Chem, my graduating friend was took that and absolutely loved it as well. I was considering taking it but I don't think it would work with schedule since it is only offered 1st period. It's also considered to be the hardest class taught at my high school so I'm not sure if I want to get into that.

I think the AP Econ taught at my school is micro and I know it's the only one offered.

To whoever suggested taking an art class, I am in band and have been for the past 3 years (marching band, pep band etc.) so I've got that. I was looking into Digital Design because 1. it looks fun 2. it's one of the only art classes that doesn't require a year of basic art classes to take.

The problem about taking vocational classes is they are taught at a career center downtown (I live in suburbia) so they require at least 2 periods. They do teach some pretty cool stuff though. I think I saw something about aviation mechanics???

Again the main problem with Japanese would be the students in the class not the actual material. I don't know if I can deal with anime obsessed 13 year old for an entire year.

Thanks for all the help you guys!
 
[quote name='mistymayem']
Again the main problem with Japanese would be the students in the class not the actual material. I don't know if I can deal with anime obsessed 13 year old for an entire year. [/QUOTE]

Just become an otaku as well and you'll be fine.
 
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